Motion picture apparatus



Dgc. 12, 1933.

C. AALBORG El' AL vMOTION PICTURE APPARATUS Filed May l, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS (ir/5.5? /P/Zozy mm ATTRNEY Dec'. 12, 19.33. c. AALBORG E1' A1. 1,939,031

MOTION PICTURE APPARATUS Filed May l, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 T B /37 Jgd ATTORNEYl UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- MOTION PICTURE APPARATUS Christian Aalborg, Pittsburgh, and Frank Conrad, Wilkinsburg, Pa., assignors tov Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Pennsylvania Applioation May 1, 1930. serial No. 449,023

3 claims. (c1. :ss-16.2)

Our invention relates to acousto-cinematodomestic 12"-diameter record rotates at a rate graphic apparatus wherein the sound is reproof 78 revolutions per minute. duced from a wax record and it has particular Provision must, therefore, be made, in the aprelation to domestic equipments of this type. paratus, for reproducing the sound and project- 5 Although domestic apparatus is designed chiefly ing the picture simultaneously but independently, 60

fOr the reproduction of a sound record in synthe former at a velocity of 78 revolutions per chronism with the projection of a motion-picture minute, and the latter at a rate 0f 16 frames per film, it may be put to a number of uses that, from Second.

the stand-point of the individual using the ap- Finally, a feature that makes the machineV paratus, are at least as important as its primary particularly desirable to a purchaser is the possi- 65 use. bility of using it as a phonograph. The provision As is well known, a large percentage of the of equipment for operating a sound record alone amateur lms distributed at the present time are iS7 therefore, essential fOr the COmmerCial SUC- not provided with sound records synchronized CeSS 0f the apparatus.

therewith. Furthermore, by reason of the ob- Itis needless to say that itis indispensable that 70 vious difficulties involved, it is unlikely that, in the domestic apparatus having such diverse applinear future, amateurs wi11 be provided with faciloability, shall be Simple in its structure and in tites for producing synchronized sound pictures. itS manipulation, and Silent in itS Operation- On the other hand, in the past, one of the most In acoustic-cinematographic apparatus 00ntempting features of the domestic motion-picture Structed according t0 the teachings 0f the prior 75 equipment, from the stand-point of the consumer, art, with which we are fartiliar, n0 pIOViSiOn iS has been its adaptability to the projection of lms made fOr taking advantage of the wide range of which he has photographed. usefulness of equipment of this character.

From a commercial standpoint, it is, therefore, It iS, accordingly, an Object 0f 0111 inVentiOn t0 V imperative that provision be made for operating provide acOuStO-Cinematcgraphic apparatus that 80 the projection system alone. shall be simple in structure, silent in operation It is to be noted, however, that, with amateur and of so tractable a character that it shall have cameras now generally available, the exposures an extensive range of usefulness. are made at the rate of 1'6 per second, while, in A further object of our invention is to provide view of the necessity for constancy of speed, picacousto-cinematographic apparatus that may, 85 tures synchronized with sound are' projected at With facility, be IlSed aS pure aCOllStiC apparatus the rate of 24 per second. Since the illusion of or as pure cinematographic apparatus. continuity is completely preserved at a projection Still another object of our invention is to prorate of 16 pictures, projection at a higher rate vide apparatus for the projection of a picture represents a costly waste in nlm and unnecessary and fOr the repredlicticn 0f Scund at a plurality 90 film-processing. Moreover, a picture that lis 0f SpeedS- photographed ai; one speed and projected at a More specically stated, it is an object of our greater speed has a ludicrous and unreal appearinvention to provide acousto-cinematographic ance on the screen, I apparatus that may be used for the projection of 40 As a Consequence, it is necessary, in providing a picture and the simultaneous reproduction. of 95 for the independent projection of a picture by a sound synchronized therewith; fotr the projecuon f a picture alone for. the projec ion o a pic ure machme desi ned to ro ect a icture with -0 chronized Soud thatlrgvsone made for silt; and the simultaneous reproduction of sound not p synchronized therewith and for the reproduc- Jectingthe silent picture at a slower rate than tion of sound a10ne 100 that? at Whlch Sourfd plctuFes are promoted' According to our invention, we provide acousto- Since many desirable pictures are not equipped Cinematographic equipment with a plurality of with synchronized Sound records the Owner 0f a dentate and frictional power-transmission mechmachne may desire to reproduce the sound from anisms that may be so interlinked by the opera.- an ordinary record While he is projecting a silent tor of theimachine that any desired combination 105 picture. In this connection, attention is called of elements of the machine may be operated at to the fact that, while the 16"- diameter record, their requisite speeds. synchronized with r. picture projected at a rate The novel features that We consider characof 24 frames per second, rotates at an angular teristic of our invention are set forth with parvelocity of 33 revolutions per minute, the ordinary ticularity in the appended claims. The inven- 110 lil . taining parts of the gear-shift levers.

Fig. 4 is a view, in side elevation, of the machine showing the nlm-feeding and film-advancing mechanisms. f

Fig. 5 -is a view, in elevation, of the head of the I machine, the projection-lens bracket and the cover for the intermittent movement beingiremoved.

Fig. 6 is a view, in section, taken along line VI-VI Of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a view, in perspective, of the cam follower.

Fig. 8 is a view in perspective, of a clamp whereby the cam follower is fastened to the clawsupporting bar.

Fig. 9 is a view, in front elevation, of a lmadvancing sprocket and its pad rollers.

Fig. 10 is a view, in side elevation, of the sprocket and its rollers.

Fig. 11 is a view, in perspective, ,of the fllm gate.

The apparatus shown in thevdrawings comprises a casting 1 provided with a plurality of` supports 3 and having a plurality of cavities, 5, 7, v9, 11 and 13 located therein to receive a motor 15, and a plurality of worms 17, 19 and 21 and worm wheels 23, 25 and 27 and to contain a lubricating fluid.

A motor shaft or main drive shaft 29 is supported on a plurality of bearings 31 pressed into a horizontal channel 32 which connects the lower gear-wheel cavity 7 and the motor cavity 5. The lower worm 17 is centrally located on the motor shaft 29, while a pulley 33, equipped with a plurality of surfaces 35 and 37 to receive a at belt 39, is disposed on one end thereof.

A vertical channel 41 is -provided between the lower gear-wheel cavity V7 and the upper gearwheelv cavity 9 and, centrally located therein,

is a shaft 43 the vertical thrust of which is supported by a ball 45 loosely mounted. in the end of a bolt 47 that projects into the casting 1 and is fastened to it by a locknut 49. A turn-table 51, having a wax record 53 centrally located thereon, is pressed on the unsupported end of the shaft 43 and is keyed thereto.

The lower and upper worm gear-wheels 23 and 25 are disposed on the vertical shaft 43 between the thrust bearing 45 and the turn-table 51 and are rotatable relative to the shaft. The vgear- -wheels do not abut the channel 41 but are separated therefrom by shouldered metallic blocks 55 and 57 that are axial with the shaft 43 and rotatable relative thereto.` e

The upper gear-wheel 25 is prevented from sliding along the shaft under gravity by the engagement of the shoulders of the upper block 57 with the end of the channel 41 and a washerr 59, supported on a nut 61 screwed on the lower end ofthe shaft 43, prevents the lower gearwheel from sliding along the shaft.

lThe blocks 55 and 57 are of square cross secltion but are equipped with buttons 63 and 65 of circular section that project into the channel 41. The buttons 63 and 65 have key slots 67 and 69 milled in their surfaces to engage keys 71 and 73 which are located on the end of a vertical hollow shaft 75 that is capable of sliding longitudinally along the vertical shaft 43 but is prevented from rotating relative thereto by the coaction of a pin 77 traversing the shaft 43 and a plurality of slots 79 milled along the shaft 75.

The gear-wheels 23 and 25 are linked with their associated blocks 55 and 57 through a plurality of flat springs 8l and 83 that engage the gear-wheel by means of a plurality of pins 85 and 87 projecting from their surfaces and are fastened to the blocks. The hollowy-shaft 75, when in engagement with the button 63 or the ,button 65, is thus rotated by the corresponding corresponding worms 17 and` 19, are prevented by the flexible couplings, from appearing in the rotation velocity of the turn-table.

A plurality of equally spaced horizontal grooves 89 are milled in the surface of the hollow shaft 75, and a pinion 91 of pitch equivalent to the spacing of the grooves 89, coacts with them to move the shaft 75 in an axial di.

rection. The pinion 91 is rigidly supported on a shaft 93 that is, in turn, mounted in a horizontal channel traversing the casting in a ditermined by the drive shaft 29. f

The shaft 93, supporting the pinion, is rigidly fastened, at one end, to a`lever 95, and a shouldered stud 97 is provided for pivoting the lever 95 and for rotating the shaft attached thereto. The stud 97 traverses a collar 99, fastened to the free end of the lever and its shoulders 101, abuts the unengaged edge thereof. It is equipped with a button 103 on one end and, adjacent to the button 103, a slotted washer 105 is located. A compression spring 107, disposed between the lever 95 and the washer 105, urges the stud 97 into engagement with the collar 99, Aat the same time causing the button 103 to latch in a groove 111 disposed in a plate- 109, over which the operating stud 97 traces out its path, in a position corresponding to the natural position of the shaft. l

A second lever 113 is centrally supported on the remaining end of the pinion shaft 93, and a tension spring 115 is anchored to a pin 117, fastened near one end of the lever, and to a pin 113 projecting from the main casting. The pins 117 and 118 are so disposed relative to each other that they are co-linear with' the'pinion-shaft center for the neutral position of the hollow shaft 75 and, consequently, the spring 115, is inactive in this position. However, in its two extreme positions, the hollow shaft is firmly held in engagement `with the corresponding blocks by the action of the spring.

Power is transmitted from the lower shaft 29 to the uppershaft 4119 through the fiat belt 39 that is driven by the pulley 33 centrally mounted on the former shaft and vdrives a pulley 121 centrally supported on one end of'the latter. As is shown in Fig. 1, the upper pulley 121 is provided with a. plurality of surfaces 123 and 125 and the belt, which may be driven at a mul- 110 rection perpendicular to the vertical plane detiplicity of linear speeds from the lower pulley 33, may drive the upper shaft at a multiplicity of angular speeds. A belt tightener 127, rotatably mounted in a bracket 129 that is pivotally supported on a stud 131 projecting from the main casting', holds the belt under tension.

When the hollow shaft 75 engages the lower worm gear-wheel 23, the turn-table 51 is directly driven from the main shaft 29 at its higher speed. If the belt 39 is, at the same time, removed from the driving pulley 33, the turn-table only is rotated.

On the other hand, when the hollow shaft 75 is in engagerr ent with the upper worm gearwheel 25, the turn-table 51 is rotated at its lower speed, that is, at the speed at which sound and pictures are synchronized. The power for this rotation is, however, transmitted from the drive shaft 29 to the upper shaft'119 through the belt. Hence, when the turn-table 51 is rotated at its lower speed, the projection apparatus is necessarily active, for the upper horizontal shaft 119 transmits the necessary power for driving the projection apparatus, as will be hereinafter ydescribed.

It is, furthermore, seen from the above description that, when the belt 39 is in engagement with the pulleys, and the hollowv shaft is driven through the lower gear-wheel 23, the projection system and turn-table are operated independently. Moreover, when the hollow shaft 75 is in neutral position, and the belt 39 is in operative position, the projection apparatus only is operated. Finally, the projection apparatus is operated for sound pictures by the coaction of the belt 39 and the inner pulley surfaces 37 and 125, while it is operated for silent pictures by the coaction of the belt 39 and the outerpulley surfaces 35 and 123.

The projection system comprises a sprocket 133 serving as both feed and take-up sprocket, an intermittent, a picture gate and an optical projection system. These elements are mounted on what may be termed the projection head 135 of the casting. A tone arm 137 carrying a pick-up 139 at its end, is pivotally supportedin an opening in the projection head 135.

The sprocket 133 is disposed on one end of a shaft 140that is motivated from the upper shaft 119 through the worm 21 and the worm gearwheel 27. It advances a lm strip 141 from a feed-reel 143 into a loop reservoir 145 from which it is intermittently advanced, through a picture gate 147, into a second loop reservoir 149 by a plurality of claws 151. From the second loop, the lm strip 141 is delivered, by the sprocket 133, to a take-up reel 153 that is rotated by the coaction of a belt 155, a drive pulley 157, situated near the remaining end of the sprocket shaft 140, and a driven pulley 161, lsituated on the take-up reel spindle 163. The loops 145 and 149 are-separated from the mechanisms of the apparatus by a plurality of strips 165 fastened to the main casting.

The lm 141 is held in engagement with the sprocket 133 by a multiplicity of rollers 167 mounted on a plurality of plates 169 provided with cam grooves 171. The plates are slidably supported in tracks 173 and are moved into and out of engagement with the sprocket by the coaction of the cam grooves 171 and a plurality of pins 175 projecting from an operating leverl77.

The intermittent movement comprises a cam disc 179 centrally situated on an end of the horizontal shaft 119 and a cam follower 181 mounted adjacent to the disc 179.

The cam follower is composed of a bar of longitudinal T-section having a-plurality of pins 183 and 185 disposed at the tips of its flanges and at the Aend of its stem, and having a rectangular slot 187 symmetrically milled relative to its long center line. The claws 151 are supported on an arm 189 extending approximately at right angles from arod 191 that has, substantially centrally located on it, a section 193 of rectangular cross section which engages thecam follower 181 in the slot 187. Thebar and cam follower are clamped together by a metallic block 195 of T-section thatis secured to the latter.

The claws 151 are moved longitudinal to the film by reason of the translational motion induced in the rod 191 by the coaction of the pin 185, disposed in the stem of the cam follower 181, and a cam groove 197, milled in the cam disc 179. The motion of the claws transverse to the lm arises from the pivoting motion induced lin the rod 191 by the coaction of the remaining pins 183 with a surface cam 199, projecting from the face of the disc 179.

The film gate comprises an apertured plate 201 from one end of which a plurality of ears 203, supporting a hinge-pin 205, project. A plurality of shoes 207, bent in pairs from metallic strips 209 and supported on a plate 211 pivotally mounted on the hinge-pin 205, are situated on both sides of the aperture 213 and are urged into engagement with the film 141 by a flat spring 215, also supported von the plate 211.

A coil springA 217, centrally situated on the hinge-pin 205, and having its ends 219 bent over to engage the shoe-plate 211, resiliently urges the shoe-plate towards the apertured plate 201. It is seenthat the gate is normally in closed position.

The projection lamp 221 is situated on the same side of the casting as the motor 15. vThe light from its filament is gathered by a condensing lens mounted in a cavity in the casting and is deflected through an vangle of 90v by a mirror 223 supported on the main casting 1. It then enters a cavity 13, in the projection head 135, passes between the blades of a light cutter .(not. shown), centrally situated on the upper horizontal shaft 119, and passes out through an opening in the cover of the cavity to illuminate the lm situated adjacent to the aperture 213.

The illuminated film is, in turn, focused on a screen by a projection lens 225 supported on a bracket 227 mounted on the cover of the shutter- `cavity 13.

-Although we have shown and described a certain specific embodiment of our invention, we are fully aware that many modifications thereof are possible. Our invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except insofar as is necessitated by the prior art and by the spirit of the appended claims. We claim as our inventionf 1. In acousto-cinematographic apparatus of the type including a sound reproducer incorporating a turn-table and a motion picture projection system, a shaft secured to said turn-table for rotating said turn-table, a sleeve supported on l said shaft, rotatable therewith but longitudinally slidable relative thereto, a drive shaft, another sleeve supported'on said first-named shaft and rotatable relative thereto, still another shaft coupled to the elements of said motion-pictureprojection system to drive said'elements, means for coupling said last-named shaft to said drive shaft to drive said last-named shaft, means forcoupling said last-named sleeve to said lastnamed shaft to rotate said sleeve and means for coupling said first-named sleeve to said lastnamed sleeve to drive said turn-table in synchrovnism with said projection system.

2. In acousto-cinematographic apparatus of the typeincluding a sound reproducer incorporating a turn-table and a motion'picture projection system, a shaft secured to said turn-table for rotating said turn-table, a sleeve supported on said shaft rotatable therewith but slidable longitudinally relative thereto, another sleeve supported on said shaft rotatable relative thereto, a

drive shaft, means for coupling said drive shaft ,shaft and rotatable relative thereto, means coupled to said drive shaft for driving said lastnamed shaft, means for coupling said last named sleeve to said last-named shaftv to 4drive said last-namedsleeve from said last-named shaft andA means for coupling said first-named sleeve to said last-named sleeve to drive said first-named sleeve thereby to drive said projectable.

tion system in synchronism with said turn-table.

3. In acousto-cinematographic apparatus of the type including a sound reproducer incorporating a turn-table and a motion picture projection system, a shaft secured to said turn-table for rotating said turn-table, a sleeve centrally supported on said shaft rotatable therewith but slidable longitudinally -relative thereto, another sleeve supported near one terminalof saidshaft rotatable relative thereto, a drive shaft, means for coupling said drive shaft to said last-named sleeve to rotate said sleeve, means for coupling said first-named sleeve to said last-named sleeve to drive said first-named sleeve thereby to drive said turntable independently of said motion picture projection system, still another shaft coupled to said -picture projection system to drive said projection syste-m, still another sleeve supported on said first-named shaft near the other terminal thereof and rotatable relative thereto, means coupled to said drive shaft for driving said lastnamed shaft, means for coupling said lastnamed sleeve to said last-named shaftto drive said last-named sleeve from said last-named shaft, and means for coupling lsaid mst-named sleeve to said last-named sleeve to drive said first-named sleeve thereby to drive said projection system in' synchronism with said turn- CHRISTIAN AALBORG.

FRANK CONRAD. 

